Ujjain Festival Calendar 2026 — Every Date from Sawan to Pitru Paksha

Ujjain follows the Purnimanta calendar, so Sawan 2026 runs from Thursday, 30 July to Friday, 28 August. The whole month belongs to Shiva, and in Mahakal's own city it is the busiest and most sacred stretch of the year. Devotees in Maharashtra, Gujarat and the South follow the Amanta reckoning, where Shravan begins about a fortnight later — but for pujas performed in Ujjain, these are the dates that apply. Full month detail is in our Sawan 2026 guide.

Every Monday of Shravan is a Sawan Somvar: 3, 10, 17 and 24 August 2026. These are the most sought-after dates of the year for Rudrabhishek, and the days on which the Somvar vrat is kept. The vrat method, the puja vidhi, and what may and may not be offered to the Shivling are covered in our Sawan Somvar vrat guide. Book abhishek slots at least a week ahead for these four dates.

Mahakal processes through Ujjain on six Mondays: 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 August, and 7 September — four in Shravan and two in Bhadrapada. Each is larger than the last. The final one, on 7 September, is the Shahi (Rajsi) Sawari, the grandest gathering of Ujjain's year. Processions set out from the temple around 4 PM. Route and planning detail: Mahakal Sawari 2026 guide.

Tuesday, 11 August is Shravan Krishna Chaturdashi, the Sawan Shivratri — second only to Mahashivratri for Shiva worship. The Nishita Kaal, the midnight window considered most potent for the abhishek, runs roughly 12:02 AM to 12:48 AM on 12 August. Devotees keep a night vigil, perform abhishek in each of the four praharas, and offer bilva patra. It is a leading date for Rudrabhishek and for Mahamrityunjaya Jaap where health protection is the intention.

The Shravan Amavasya, on Wednesday, 12 August, is the new moon of the month — the day of the ancestors. Tarpan and Pitra Dosh puja performed on a Shravan Amavasya carry particular weight, since ancestral rites and Shiva's month coincide. It is also traditionally a day for planting trees, which is where the name hariyali comes from.

Shravan Shukla Panchami falls on Monday, 17 August in 2026 — a Nag Panchami that is simultaneously a Sawan Somvar and a Sawari day. It is the single most powerful date of the year for Kaal Sarp Dosh Puja, and slots close earlier than for any other date. Our Nag Panchami 2026 guide explains the combination and the vidhi.

Friday, 28 August is Shravan Purnima, which closes the month and is observed as Raksha Bandhan. It is also the day of Upakarma, when the sacred thread is renewed. Sawan ends here, though the Sawari processions continue into Bhadrapada for two more Mondays.

Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi falls on Monday, 14 September 2026, one week after the Shahi Sawari. Ganeshotsav begins here and runs to Anant Chaturdashi. Ganesh Puja is performed for the removal of obstacles and before new beginnings — a business launch, a house move, a new venture — and this is its most auspicious window of the year.

The ancestral fortnight runs from Saturday, 26 September to Saturday, 10 October 2026, ending on Sarva Pitri Amavasya. These sixteen days are the most significant period of the year for Shradh, tarpan and pind daan, and Ujjain — with the Shipra ghats and Siddhavat — is one of the few places in India where these rites carry full shastric sanction. Shradh is performed on the tithi the ancestor passed away, or on Sarva Pitri Amavasya if that date is unknown. Detail: guide to Pitra Dosh.

Every date above is bookable with Mahakal Darshan, performed in Ujjain by our own Vedic pandits with the sankalp in your name and gotra — attend in person, or join by live WhatsApp video from anywhere, with prasad delivered to your home. The heavily-subscribed dates are the four Sawan Somvars, Sawan Shivratri, Nag Panchami and the Pitru Paksha tithis; reserve those well ahead.